Page 45 of Jace

“Perfect,” Susannah declared, going up on her toes to kiss the baby’s little nose.

He chuckled at her.

“Check the front for me?” Jace asked.

“Sure,” she said, walking around to face him again.

Suddenly she was aware of his enormous size and his bare chest all over again.

Easy, girl, you’re checking on Zeke’s sling.

She slipped her fingers into the wrapping of the fabric at intervals, ensuring that it was snug.

Jace held perfectly still, but she could feel his awareness ratcheting up just as hers did, until the two of them were alone in a haze of desire.

“Jace,” she murmured, gazing up into his eyes.

The icy blue melted into cerulean as the world faded away around them.

17

Jace

Jace stood still, not daring to breathe, as Susannah’s small hands slid across his chest, tugging at the sling.

She was his mate, so every touch brought pleasure. But this was something else. It was as if she was aware of her effect on him. Or maybe it was more like she was exploring it.

Waves of need threatened to pull him under. He clenched his jaw and his fists, and tried to resist.

When she met his eyes, it took everything he had to tear his gaze away.

“If you don’t want me to claim you here in the grass, we should keep moving,” he growled.

Her pink lips parted in surprise and then she backed up immediately, her cheeks darkening in a blush.

Mine, the dragon screamed in his chest, furious that he hadn’t claimed her yet.

But Jace knew better.

If she was scared that bad luck would befall him, then the best thing he could do was spend time with her until she saw that she was mistaken, and he was safe.

He wanted her to be more than willing. He needed her to beg.

Even if the flames of desire wrapped him in a conflagration of agony while he waited.

“You’ll want to keep your wits about you in the forest,” he told her, marching off, confident that she would follow. “The animals and plants here are not what you’re used to. We want to stay openminded about what could be dangerous.”

“Okay,” she said, shadowing him just as he had expected. “Is there anything in particular I should look out for?”

“The main thing to keep in mind is that you don’t want to touch anything you don’t need to touch,” he explained. “We were taught as dragonets to be wary of leaning on rocks or trees in a new setting. It can be hard to tell what is a plant or mineral and what is an animal, perhaps a dangerous one.”

“Good point,” she said bravely.

“And no matter what happens, we have to stick together,” he told her. “If you start to get tired, don’t fall behind. Make sure I know to slow down.”

“Okay,” she said. “I can do that.”

“I’ve got water and provisions in my pack,” he told her. “If you ever have to walk in the woods, even if you think it’ll only be for an hour, always bring water.”

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